Discourses on Livy - Niccolò Machiavelli

The Discourses on Livy (Italian: Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Tito Livio, literally "Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livy") is a work of political history and philosophy written in the early 16th century (ca. 1517) by the Italian writer and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli, best known as the author of The Prince. Where the latter is nominally devoted to advising the ruler of a principality, in other words a type of monarchy, the Discourses purport to explain the structure and benefits of a republic, a form of government based on some level of popular consent and control.

Machiavelli dedicated this work to Zanobi Buondelmonti and Cosimo Rucellai, two of the greatest exponents of the Orti Oricellari in Florence, where aristocratic young people met in order to discuss politics, art and literature.The Prince is written in the form of a short digest, based primarily on empirical observations about great men. Machiavelli wrote the Discourses in the form of a longer commentary on Livy's work on the history of Ancient Rome, Ab Urbe condita. However, both books include empirical observations—particularly from the political landscape of Renaissance Italy—and historical generalizations. Machiavelli himself does not make a sharp distinction between the two methods of inquiry, as he thinks that all ages are fundamentally similar. Machiavelli seeks to use both methods to discover the laws of the political universe, which he indicates are as unchanging as those of the natural world.

The text is composed of three books. In Book I Machiavelli focuses on the internal structure of the republic. Book II is about matters of warfare. Book III is perhaps most similar to the teachings of The Prince, as it concerns individual leadership. The three books combined provide guidance to those trying to establish or reform a republic. However, his advice is (after Machiavelli's fashion) rather unorthodox, including a very long section on conspiracies, and seemingly providing advice to people seeking to overthrow a republic as well as those trying to establish one.

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Discourses on Livy

Art of War - Niccolò Machiavelli

In whom ought there to be a greater love of peace, than in him who can only be injured by war? In whom ought there to be a greater fear of God than in him who, undergoing infinite dangers every day, has more need for His aid? If these necessities in forming the life of the soldier are well considered, they are found to be praised by those who gave the laws to the Commanders and by those who were put in charge of military training, and followed and imitated with all diligence by others.

But because military institutions have become completely corrupt and far removed from the ancient ways, these sinister opinions have arisen which make the military hated and intercourse with those who train them avoided.And I, judging, by what I have seen and read, that it is not impossible to restore its ancient ways and return some form of past virtue to it, have decided not to let this leisure time of mine pass without doing something, to write what I know of the art of war, to the satisfaction of those who are lovers of the ancient deeds. And although it requires courage to treat of those matters of which others have made a profession, none the less, I do not believe that it is a mistake to occupy a position with words, which may, with greater presumption, have been occupied with deeds; for the errors which I should make in writing can be corrected without injury to anyone, but those which are made with deeds cannot be found out except by the ruin of the Commanders.

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Art of War-Book I
Art of War-Book II
Art of War-Book III

History of Florence - Niccolò Machiavelli

After the crisis of 1513, with arrests for conspiracy, torture and after being sentenced to house arrest, Machiavelli's relationship with the Medici family passively began to mend itself. If the dedication ofThe Prince (1513) to Lorenzo II de Medici had not any effect, part of the then dominant faction of the Florence was not against him, and instead granted him an appointment.

In his letter he deplores of his idle state, offering his precious political experience to the new lord. To sustain that timid request Machiavelli, with a considerably courtier-like spirit, set his Mandragola for the wedding of Lorenzino de' Medici (1518). On 1520 he was invited to Lucca for a mission of a semiprivate character, indicating that the ostracism was to be raised up. At the end of that year, CardinalGiulio de Medici, later Pope Clement VII, commissioned him history of Florence. Although this was not exactly the charge he desired, Machiavelli accepted it as the only possible way to come back into the graces of the Medici. The intent of the work, although semi-officially, was to recover the city's charge of historic officiality. The wage for the appointment was not large (57 florins per year, later increased to 100).

The finished work was presented officially to Giulio de' Medici, now Pope, in the May of 1526. The Pope liked the work and rewarded him, albeit moderately, and asked him support in the creation of a national army, on the wake of his theorical work The Art of War, in the preparations for the War of the League of Cognac. However after the sack of Rome (1527) and the fall of the Medici government in Florence, Machievelli's hopes were dashed. Machiavelli would die soon afterwards.(en.wikipedia.org)

History of Florence PDF

The Prince(1532)-Niccolò Machiavelli

Il Principe (Sang Penguasa) adalah sebuah risalat politik oleh seorang pegawai negeri dan teoretikus politik Firenze Niccolò Machiavelli. Aslinya berjudul De Principatibus (Tentang Kekuasaan),dan dianggap sebagai panduan praktis sebagai kepala negara ditulis pada 1513,namun baru diterbitkan pada 1532, lima tahun setelah kematian Machiavelli. Tulisan ini adalah sebuah studi klasik tentang kekuasaan – bagaimana memperolehnya, memperluas, dan menggunakannya dengan hasil yang maksimal. Tulisan ini sebenarnya tidak mewakili karya-karyanya selama masa hidupnya, namun karya inilah yang paling diingat, dan yang menyebabkan lahirnya istilah "Machiavellis" yang digunakan secara luas sebagai istilah pejoratif.(id.wikipedia.org)

bab 17 the prince,machiavelli mendiskusikan apakah sang pangeran lebih baik dicintai atau tidak:
 "Jawabannya adalah seseorang harus ditakuti dan dicintai,tetapi...lebih aman ditakuti daripada dicintai,jika seorang harus memilih...cinta diikat oleh rantai kewajiban.dimana manusia saat egois,rantai itu akan putus saat tujuannya terpenuhi,tetapi rasa takut terpelihara dengan seperangkat hukuman yang tidak pernah gagal"

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